When the Crimson Butterflies Scatter
by Koe Ishida
Summary: Furude Rika returns to the summer days of the small town of Hinamizawa winding down to the Watanagashi Festival, but new faces appear in her normal circle of friends. Is there a secret behind these peoples' sudden appearance? Higurashi season 2 spoilers!
1. The Doomed Beginning Chapter, Part 1

**(A/N) Hello, everyone! This is my second story on Fanfiction. I actually wrote this a while ago, in a journal of mine, when a random thought came to me: "ZOMG IT'D BE SO AWESOME IF FATAL FRAME CHARS WERE IN HIGURASHI". I then made a deep and complex story as to why they're there. WARNING TO EVERYONE RIGHT NOW: Since I know how it feels to feel your life crash down after hearing a huge and dream-ruining spoiler, I will warn you right now: There are Higurashi Season 2 Spoilers in here. Finish season 2 before reading this. Kk? =w=**

**Another fair warning: This is a whole lot different from my previous story, A Kiss and a Melody. That vocaloid fanfic is much more gushy and romancey and WAY MORE LIGHT HEARTED. This is dark, horror-esque, creepy and psychological. So if you're a bit more on the gushy side stick to the loveydovey A Kiss and Melody :3 ENJOY!**

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><p>"Mio-chan, is Rika-chan okay?"<p>

"Ri-chan!"

"Rika?"

The golden tears of the sun trickled down on Furude Rika's tightly shut eyelids, opening them. As she awakened, her dreary eyes found themselves gazing upon the sun seeping through the wispy clouds that were lazily crawling through the pure blue sky. The sun was glimmering through the gaps in between the gentle green leaves, dancing with the wind amongst the branches of towering trees above her. A soft, summer breeze whispered secrets through the air, carrying the aroma of awakening morning glories and caressing Rika's skin as it brushed violet strands of long, silky hair across her face. The breeze caused the emerald grass to rustle against Rika's cheek, signifying she was lying on the ground. Yet, in all this serenity, a throbbing pain found itself pounding in the young girl's skull, as if trying to burst into the peacefulness of this summer day and turn it sour.

Her familiar friends stood circled above her. She recognized Ryuuguu Rena's short, perky hair, a strawberry orange color, glistening a honey-sweet bronze in the sun.

"Ri-chan, are you okay~kana, kana?" Rena's ocean-blue eyes expressed a relieving worry as she noticed her friend's eyes begin to open, yet a pout still refused to leave her lips.

Next to Rena, Sonozaki Mion stood over Rika, a slightly surprised expression in her sapphire blue eyes. Her bright, apple-green hair cascaded down her shoulders, distinct yet charming. Maebara Keiichi stood next to Mion, a stupid, confused look on his face, filming over his shimmering brown eyes, the same color as his hair.

Rika sat up, and saw her best friend, Houjou Satoko, kneeling by her side. Her eyes, usually a pretty burnt orange shade, darkened to a cherry brown as a look of worry consumed her face. Short, golden hair framed her face, cut at chin-length.

"Rika, I'm sorry~desu wa. I threw the ball too hard. Are you okay?"

_Oh, yes, _Rika thought to herself, _this is where Satoko hits me with the ball and I fall to the floor._

Rika beamed at Satoko and said in a childish voice, "No, I'm okay, Satoko-chan. I wasn't hurt at all, just a little surprised. Nippa~!"

Satoko's expression immediately relaxed, and she sighed with relief.

"Can you get up, Rika-chan?" a timid voice came from behind Rika. A voice she's never heard.

Rika's eyes opened wide as she turned around.

Behind her stood two young girls, around her age, with similar features. Both had short, straight hair falling just below the chin in a dark brown shade, rusty red strands appearing in the sunlight. Bangs swept across their foreheads and their deep brown eyes looked shy and concerned. They wore matching dresses, yet one had a bandage on her right knee.

_What?_ Rika thought, shocked. _Who are…?_

"Uh…yes! See?" Rika got to her feet and spread her arms out as if to say, "ta-da!"

"Alright, let's keep the game going!" Mion said, cheerfulness rich in her voice. "I still want to punish Kei-chan," she added, a look of determination on her face as she clenched her fist, as if it was a true goal for her.

"'Ey, don't get your hopes up!" Keiichi smirked, overly proud, "I'm still in the lead in this game!"

Rika grinned at Mion and Keiichi's childish quarrel. Then Rena looked behind her, at the small school they all attended. The school in their town, Hinamizawa, was a one-classroom school with only eighteen students and one teacher.

"I wonder where Miku-chan went, ~kana, kana…?"

Rika's eyes grew wider. "Miku?" her voice sounded startled.

Rena glanced over at Rika, a bit confused. "Huh? Yeah, Miku-chan…?" she grinned. "Did the hit in the head from the ball make you forget one of your friends, Ri-chan?"

Rika could only stare for a moment.

Rena's expression turned back to confused.

"Ri-chan…?"

"Mii…" Rika finally murmured, "No, I didn't forget, silly! Nippa!"

Suddenly, a girl with dark brown hair shining red in the sunlight, and tied back in a ponytail with a deep blue ribbon came rushing over. The girl looked rather panicked.

"Mya!" the girl exclaimed.

"Hey, Miku!" Keiichi called to her, "What took you so long?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Mya…" the girl, Miku, appeared out of breath, gasping for air. "I got left behind by you guys behind the school." She explained what happened. "I was walking with you guys, but I saw these pretty flowers on the ground and got lost in thought staring at them, mya… by the time I snapped out of it, you guys were gone."

The young look-a-like girls giggled at Miku. "How careless!"

Miku blushed pink. "I…I didn't mean to…"

Satoko chuckled. "Okay, Miku's here, let's play the game again!"

Rika looked around her at all her laughing friends, gawking. But…who were these new people? "Miku", and these two girls…she's never seen before.

"Nee, everyone! Say 'cheese'!"

Rika turned in the direction of a woman's voice.

Her vision was stolen by a white flash.

"Mii…?"

When her vision came back, she saw a young woman in front of her, focusing her attention on a camera in her hands, her short, black-as-night hair rustling in the breeze. She looked busy in a pure white, sleeveless button-up shirt, black skinny jeans, and extra-high white heels.

The woman beamed at the photo that dropped out of the professional-looking camera.

"How cute!" the woman said cheerfully. "You guys are so fun to photograph."

She blinked at the photo. "Aa? Rika-chan, you're not smiling in this picture. You look kind of depressed, nee…"

"Ah-uh…" Rika stuttered, "I was—"

"I must of scared you, coming out of nowhere, nee!"

The woman smiled in a friendly manner.

"M-Mii…" muttered Rika.

"You do that a lot, Kurosawa-san," Rena mumbled, a grin on her lips yet her eyebrows furrowed in worry.

"Oh please, you guys," the woman said, placing a hand on her chest, "I told you to call me 'Rei'. After all, I only come here once a year, and you guys are my favorite things to photograph! Or, if you must, I'll also be happy with just a simple 'Rei-chan'~-"

"—So, 'Rei-chan', taking yet another photo-shoot of these kiddos?"

A male voice suddenly interrupted her babbling, and she whirled around, blushing red. "Yuu!"

Rika's friends all chuckled and called out, "Hey, Asou-san."

Except for Rika, who was blinking and looking around at all these people she's never seen before.

"Oji-san!" the two young girls squealed and ran towards the young man smiling next to "Yuu".

"Hey, Mio-chan, Mayu-chan," the uncle caught the two girls in a hug.

"Hello, Amakura-san ~desu wa!" Satoko called out.

"What is Asou-san and Amakura-san doing here ~kana, kana?" asked Rena.

"Trying to cure writer's block, you see…" Yuu sighed.

"So we decided to take a walk." Concluded Kei Amakura.

"I-Is that so, nee…" Rei laughed nervously, still red.

Rika was staring at everyone, her eyes bulging. She was used to going to a new dimension, a new world every time she died. In the last few dimensions, she figured out the person attempting to kill her every time was a woman named Miyo. But never once in the one hundred years she's flipped through dimensions had she ever seen these people.

"I…um…I…HAVE TO PEE!" Rika suddenly exclaimed, and fled, the crowd staring.

"NIPPA~!"

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><p>"Hanyuu!" Rika's voice echoed through the bathroom stall. "What is the meaning behind this world!"<p>

A ghostly apparition of a girl with white, wavy hair tumbling down her back, dressed in old Japanese attire appeared in front of Rika. Curved horns on the apparition's head proved she was not human.

"Hanyuu~"

"Do you even know, yourself?" Rika was frantic.

"Lower y-your voice, please!" Hanyuu replied, her apparition backing up to a grimy stall door, as if Rika's sharp, demanding voice frightened her.

To her friends, Rika had an innocent, childish voice, and had a child's behavior—her gigantic grins, her creation of nonsensical babble she used all the time, "Nippa" and "Mii", her tendency to copy animals' noises and gestures…yet on the inside, she was full-grown and mature, her dialect wise and intelligent, her voice lower and sharper. She can only share her true self to Hanyuu, otherwise her friends on the outside will get confused.

"Well, you see…" Hanyuu began, directing her quiet voice to the dirt-caked floor below them, "Something happened…"

"Something? What is it?" asked Rika, her voice still tinted with panicked breathes.

"The world we teleported to…" it looked as though it was difficult for Hanyuu to coax the words out of her throat. "…it's completely different from all the other worlds."

"I cans see that." Rika let out a puff of air. She's dealt with worlds like this, worlds broken and reversed, their upside-down shards floating in the wavelengths of time. Rena's family never breaking; Satoko's brother never leaving; Twice had Keiichi never even moved to Hinamizawa, a terrible fate. Rika concluded she could weave her way through this world's intertwining tangles.

"No, Rika." Hanyuu's voice sounded as though she was shoving it out of her, "This time…it's different."

"How?"

"This world has somehow been dismantled and re-pieced, like an un-matching puzzle. Those people you've never seen before—all of them in the other worlds never even lived near Hinamizawa. Something's happened."

"So? Things like this have happened before, right?"

"But Rika! These people…I don't know much about them. They could distort this world even more. I will have to look into them."

"What are you talking about? We already know the culprit is Miyo. We don't need to worry about the new people…right?"

"Yes, Rika, we do." Hanyuu's voice grew graver and graver with every world she said. Her eyes met Rika's.

"This world is so broken and different, the culprit could be someone other than Miyo. The new people, Rena, Keiichi—it is just as probable it's you or I. It could be anyone, Rika."

The realization that this world is shattering more than she thought finally hit Rika, like the agonizing pain after the shock of a bullet. Struck with a sudden understanding, Rika froze and replayed Hanyuu's words in her head.

In this world, it could be anyone.

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><p><em>What you see is a crumbling future with new eyes.<em>

_What you hear is laughter playing like a pantomime, yet doesn't belong._

_What you witness is the familiar dirt trail in which unknown figures stand upon._

_When the Crimson Butterflies Scatter, The Doomed Beginning Chapter, Part 2 ~ Destruction knows no mercy._

…

_Do you believe?_

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><p><strong>(AN) This is more of an introduction, the second chapter, get ready for some thrills! ^0^ Reviews are appreciated! Luv you~!**

_**Random after-story babbling time with Koe:**_

**Listening to Colors by Utada Hikaru...such a pretty song. And it's words are so inspirational. wwwww**


	2. The Doomed Beginning Chapter, Part 2

**(A/N) Herro~~ I decided to post this the same day as Chapter 1. Because this is right about where it gets interesting...and creepy. .w. Enjoy!**

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><p>The days rolled by smoothly and dreamily, the summer days filled with the heat's embrace and the lingering scent of morning glories. The grass rustled in shades of gold and emerald, and the clouds splattered about the sapphire sky, blushing a pink tint. In the distance, the murmur of cicadas floated through the dreamy days like a lullaby.<p>

For the days before the Watanagashi festival, Rika spent her time playing with friends and pretending to know most of them. Mio and Mayu were twin sisters who have been living in Hinamizawa for two years now. Their mother was sick in the hospital, and Mayu had a limp leg. Miku lived with her mother and brother, Mafuyu, having just moved there. She's awfully clumsy and shy. Rei came by the village every summer to photograph the Watanagashi festival, for she's a photographer, and her fiancé, Yuu, got inspiration for his writing, along with Kei, who visited his nieces, Mio and Mayu, every year. But now with the twin's mom in the hospital, he took care of them.

Rika and her friends danced through the grass in bursts of laughter, trying to catch the crimson butterflies fluttering by. The older ones, Miku, Rena, Mion and Keiichi sat under the sunlight's fingers streaming through the trees and watched Rika, Satoko, and the twins skip and twirl. Rei snapped photos of the scenery, admiring the perfection of the summer scene.

"Hey," Rena said as a soft breeze barely floated by to rustle her hair. "The Watanagashi festival is tomorrow."

Mion stretched, her arms above her head.

"I know~! It's gonna be great, right~?"

"It'll be my first time coming," Keiichi announced, his gaze on the clouds tiptoeing above the trees.

"My first time, too," Miku's soft voice was directed to the swaying grass. A shy smile graced her lips.

"You're gonna love it, I promise!" Rei chuckled, peeking her head away from the camera.

_So, _Rika thought it over, _I wonder how the festival will end up this year…_

Her fingertips just brushed the tips of a crimson butterfly's delicate wings as it hummed by.

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><p>Just like that, the festival came. The group had a blast, dressed in yukatas. Rika noticed everyone was dressed in the same yukatas as every dimension. However, Miku's was a gorgeous deep red with a scarlet dragon snaking through it as though ready to soar out. Rei wore a deep, dark blue with intricate designs.<p>

When Mio and Mayu came, Rika gasped in shock and choked on her breath. While Mio was dressed in a simple white yukata, Mayu had what looked like…blood? Splattered on her kimono in the shape of a butterfly wing.

"Mayu—" Rika stammered, but as soon as she said it, she froze. Mayu was dressed in a white yukata identical to her sister's.

"What's wrong, Rika-chan?" Mayu blushed.

_The blood's…gone? _Rika shook her head.

"You two look extra cute today ~Nippa!"

The twins turned pink as Keiichi exclaimed "C'mon, let's go!"

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><p>Together, the friends participated in all the festivities. Mion constantly challenging Keiichi to whatever game they would play next. All was joyous, until Jirou Tomitake came by.<p>

"Hey!" the muscular men called. He had a cheerful expression in his eyes. "Mio-chan and Mayu-chan~?"

"Y-Yes?" spotlight on them, the twins turned crimson.

"Would you guys mind, as twins, for me to take photos of you guys on the rocks by Twin Creek in the forest? It would make great art."

"Ah…sure!" Mayu grabbed Mio's hand and they followed behind the photographer.

Time passed. Rika performed the same ritual she did every single year. She danced old Japanese-style in Miko attire with a large instrument in her hand she tore cotton apart with.

The time in which the sun snuck away for slumber and its crimson stain on the sky bled through the gaps in between the leaves of the trees, the festival was coming to an end, and Mio and Mayu finally returned.

"Kya~!" the twins exclaimed, clearly exhausted. "We got lost…"

"Obviously!" Mion seemed annoyed. "You missed Rika's performance!"

"We're really sorry~!"

"It's alright you guys, I do it every year!" Rika beamed innocently.

_Will the photographer die now?_ Inside her head, Rika thought it over. _Are Mio and Mayu…?_

"_Well, think about it, Rika,"_ Hanyuu's apparition appeared beside Rika, though no one else could see her.

"_They might not even die this time."_

_True…_

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><p>Rika let the day slide by, and hoped the next day wouldn't reveal any tragic truths. Yet, sadly…<p>

Rika and Satoko giggled as they trotted through the dirt trail to their school. It was a usual summer day, the tattered clouds dotting the crisp blue sky like shredded holes. The trees surrounding Rika and Satoko swayed to the gentle breeze, and puffs of dust floated from beneath their feet as they walked on together.

When the two girls arrived at the school grounds, their laughter was hushed by the eerie silence among their friends that were already at the school. Keiichi had his hands shoved in his pockets, and was gazing at the mountains far in the distance. Mion sat on a bench at the front of the school, focusing the whole of her attention on her fiddling fingers stiff on her lap. Rena sat next to her, locking her stare on a trembling blade of grass below her. Miku stood next to all of them, her eyes lowered, taut as if holding herself down from getting upset. Everyone looked depressed and distant. The only thing that broke the silence was the cries of the cicadas.

"Guys…?" confusion tinted Satoko's voice.

"Mii…" Rika murmured, thinking _So it did happen…_

"Ah—Rika—Satoko—" stuttered Keiichi, turning his eyes to them, yet his head did not move.

"What's wrong?" asked Satoko.

"Ah…well…" Keiichi placed a hand on his neck, and Miku choked out a sob.

The mournful cicadas drowned the air for a moment more, then the truth finally tumbled out of Rena's mouth, a hint of bitter sadness and slight rage in her voice.

"Tomitake-san is dead, and Takano-san is missing."

Of course, the two girls froze to statues, Satoko's eyes bulging as she caught her breath.

Miku burst to tears, exclaiming, "Oh, why did this happen?" and shadows fell upon everyone else's eyes.

_So it did happen the same…_

Rika's voice sliced through Miku's wailing and the cries of the cicadas, whose murmurs seemed to have gotten a bit more agonized.

"Do you know who the culprit is?"

Miku choked through her tears and fell to her knees, her face cupped in her hands. Mion abruptly stood up and scurried to her to comfort her. While Mion looked purely saddened in her eyes, Keiichi appeared in pain. Rena's head was lowered so low her eyes disappeared behind her bangs, and her face was unnervingly shadowed. A frown remained plastered on her lips, her body frozen.

_Why won't they answer…?_

Suddenly, a child's cheerful voice shattered the awful scene.

"Hey, everyone!"

Mio and Mayu skipped over, waving, yet slowed when they saw Miku sobbing and no one responding.

Confusion swept over Mio's face. "Why's Miku-chan crying…?"

Slowly, strangely, agonizingly, everyone nearly simultaneously turned their eyes to the twins, except Rika and the broken down Miku.

Rika could see their eyes were wide and red and unforgiving—their jaws clenched, their frowns definite. There was a kind of emotion in their eyes so startling it stopped the twins dead.

"What's wrong…?" Mayu's voice quivered.

"Hey, Mio. Mayu." Rena's voice was low and flat, a voice she never used. Her voice was always high and cheerful, and dropping the –chan from the twins' names proved her sudden dislike for them. It frightened the two girls even more.

"…?"

"So, you know, right?" Mion's tone imitated the same flatness.

"Eh…?"

"Mio…Mayu…" whispered Satoko.

"What is—"

"You know Tomitake-san died, right?"

Rena's mechanical voice had strangely caused Miku's hiccups to abruptly stop.

Mio and Mayu's breaths both ceased. Their eyes bulged at Rena, and their mouths gaped open.

"Wha-What?"

Rika saw where this was going quickly. "Guys—"

"You know who did it, don't you?" Keiichi's voice mirrored the emotionlessness of Rena's and Mion's.

Hesitantly, Mio and Mayu slowly shook their heads no.

Rika was attempting to get her word in, her voice pressing through. "It could have been—"

"—someone else, right?" Mion's wide-eyed stare did not drift away from Mio and Mayu. Miku began to slowly pick her trembling body up, her arms dragging on the grass, but Mion remained kneeling.

"Wha…wha…" the scene was processing through Mio's head.

"I—" Rika urged, yet Keiichi cut her off once again.

"Who, Rika? Who did it?"

"We can't just say—" Rika impelled through, but could not find the words to choke out of herself. Miku, standing at last, began to agonizingly turn herself to face the twins.

Rika tried again. "We don't know—"

"Rika!" Satoko's voice split through Rika's stuttering, startling her with its sharpness. The blonde had her head down, her face shadowed. Rika could only stare at her friend in shock.

Silence, besides the miserable cicadas, consumed the world until Mayu at last spoke up.

"Do you…do you think it's us?" her words tripped and tumbled out of her in a disbelieving gasp.

Silence.

"We didn't do it!" Mio burst.

"LIAR!" Rena suddenly screamed hoarsely, and all went cold as the world began slowly tearing apart.

The birds nesting in the trees became startled by Rena's voice, and soared away high in the oddly grey sky. The sun was also startled, slipping away and hiding behind the torn clouds, stealing the warmth of summer with it. A chilling breeze shook the leaves and tugged at everyone's hair. No one said a word more.

Finally, Miku was facing the twins, though her eyes vanished in the shadows her bangs cast, her head lowered. Her voice was engulfed in pain.

"Why…" she murmured softly, directing it towards Mio and Mayu.

"…"

"Why…Mio…Mayu…"

"Miku…" breathed Mio.

"Everything's…" it was almost as though Miku was speaking to herself.

"…!" Rika choked on her breath.

"Everything's…"

Mayu spoke up. "Miku-chan, we promise you—"

"_RUINED!"_ Miku shrieked, throwing her head to the sky. Like how Rena, Mion, and Keiichi's eyes once were, Miku's eyes bulged, but rather with pain and a slight insanity. She began wailing again.

It terrified the twins. They jumped and choked back their screams, then in fear began backing away.

Miku started thrashing her arms everywhere, hitting only air, shrieking and sobbing, moving closer to the supposed culprits.

"RUINED! _RUINED!_ It was all _PERFECT, _and you _RUINED IT! _WHY!" she ran and lunged at the twins, and they could help but scream.

"STOP! STOP! We didn't do it!" Mio and Mayu pleaded.

Miku reached and grabbed hold of both of them, still shouting in their ears. Bitter tears ran down her cheeks.

"What happened? Why'd it turn out this way? What was the REASON? TELL ME!" she shook Mio and Mayu as she wailed. The rest were frozen like statues, distant. Rika demanded Miku to stop.

Mio and Mayu, out of terror, shoved Miku to the ground and backed away, sobbing. Miku shrieked once more then quieted, tears still rolling down her face. Her hiccups and the rustle of the trees were the only things heard for a moment more. Even the cicadas were hushed.

At last, Miku put her hands to her face, one on the side of her forehead and one on her tear-stained cheek. Eyes half-closed, she stretched her quivering mouth into a smile, wide and unnatural and teeth-baring. Her entire body violently shook.

"I-I know…" she murmured through sobs. "You're…y…you're possessed by a demon, hah…yeah…"

She dropped her head, a shadow looming over her eyes.

"This is…haa…"

The twins were practically hyperventilating, they were so afraid. "M-Mi…"

"Just go then." Miku's voice turned flat as well.

"Ah…" stammered Mio.

"_JUST GO!_ LEAVE US! YOU DISGUSTING _DEMONS! BEFORE I KILL YOU!"_

Wailing, Mio and Mayu disappeared through the trees.

And with one more cold gust of wind that chilled Rika to the bone, all noise died to silence.

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><p><em>What you feel is a flaming rage scorching your heart.<em>

_What you wish is for your secret hopes to come true._

_What you see is a figure switching back and forth from monster to human._

_When the Crimson Butterflies Scatter, The Doomed Beginning Chapter, Part 3: A Lie Escapes the Mouth._

…

_Do you believe?_

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><p><strong>(AN) I told yeww it'd get interesting =w=~ At least I HOPE it was interesting D: Koe tried her hardest ;A;/**

_**Random babblings time:**_

**Last chapter I said I was listening to Colors by Utada Hikaru. Following that came Just Call My Name by Tsukiko Amano and a bunch of random Vocaloid songs :3 Gotta love em Jpop/Rock. I've become a big Gakupo fan after listening to him and writing about him in A Kiss. I've always thought Gackt was cool, and Gakupo is just so amazing wwwwwwwwwww *dies* SO ANYWAY. OwO**


	3. The Doomed Beginning Chapter, Part 3

**(A/N) Yesss! It works. Yesterday the document wasn't uploading correctlyyyy. So anyway ENJOY :D This one is VERY long, heheh. Didn't realize it but didn't really know how to break it up without one of the chapters being way to short...**

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><p>Rika let the day trudge by, her friends sharing laughter and smiles no more. They were silent through the entire school day. After school, Satoko and Rika did not speak a word walking home.<p>

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><p>"Oh, Oji-san!" Mio and Mayu sobbed in their uncle's arms. They had spilled everything to him, their hearts shriveled and sinking.<p>

"You poor things…" Kei pat their heads. "Why would they suspect innocent children like you…"

He winced at the thought of them hating the girls for something they couldn't have done.

"There must be something more to this. Look, Oji-san is going to research things for you and find out what _really_ happened. Okay?"

The two girls nodded their heads and sniffled.

"It's alright. With Oji-san, you're okay."

Kei reassured them with a sad grin.

"Saa, let's make dinner together. How about gyoza?"

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><p>Later that night, while Mio and Mayu were sleeping, Kei did, in fact, do some research on the murder case. It was definitely a murder—the photographer was strangled to death, a bruise on his neck. How could the twins' delicate hands be able to do that…?<p>

Something wasn't right. Blaming two young children for murder…it seemed there was something…out of place.

Kei decided upon researching Mio and Mayu's "friends", and finally discovered an answer that left him shocked.

The next day, Mio and Mayu returned to school. And yet, all of their "friends" glared at them walking in, minus Rika. Fear rising inside them once again, the twins resisted making eye contact.

"You came back." Mion muttered.

The twins refused to say a word.

"Aa, Mio-chan, Mayu-chan, welcome back!" the teacher smiled in a friendly manner and then went back to helping a child in her math.

"Do you need yesterday's homework?" said Satoko flatly, staring at the paper on the desk in front of her.

Mio and Mayu continued ignoring their classmates, whispering in each other's ears instead.

"Was the gyoza tasty?"

Rena's voice was a copy of Mion and Satoko's. The twins stopped dead and whirled around to gawk at the orange-haired girl.

"Wh…wha?" Mayu gasped.

"How did you-?" exclaimed Mio.

"You looked like you cooked it pretty good. Was it delicious?" Rena's eyes were shadowed once more.

"Your uncle must be a great cook," Miku added in, her eyes to the floor.

"You-?"

"You seemed as though you enjoyed the gyoza." Mion muttered flatly, in the same tone as everyone else.

"The white rice looked good too," stated Keiichi, "Your uncle bought it at the market the other day, didn't he?"

"The windows were steamed from that yummy gyoza."

"Stop—"

"You prepared it well with your uncle."

"Maybe next time we can have a taste too?"

"LEAVE US ALONE!" Mio shrieked, and the whole room fell into a startled silence.

"Mio…chan?" murmured the teacher.

The classmates were silent the rest of the day.

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><p>The twins made sure they were quick walking home, even though Mayu's leg was limp. When they arrived, they saw Rei passing by, which cheered them up a bit—she must have been staying in Hinamizawa for a few more days. None of the classmates were in sight.<p>

"Aa! Hey guys!" Rei beamed and waved, a camera in hand.

"Hey, Rei-san!" the twins grinned. "We just came home."

"Oh, did you? Do you know if Kei-kun's home? My fiancé wanted to talk to him."

"No, he's out at the store."

"Oh, okay. Nee, you guys look so cute~ by each other! Everyone, say "CHEESE", nee!"

A flash went off and the two sisters grinned. Rei took the photo out, and her eyes skimmed over it.

"Aa, you three are so adorable…"

The twins choked on their breaths.

"…Three?"

"Hah? Yeah, you three…? Nee, Rena left?"

Mio and Mayu gaped at Rei, their eyes bulging.

"She was there?"

"Yeah? Behind you…she must've went inside. Does she ditch you often?" Rei chuckled and turned to leave. "See ya!"

The two girls stood like statues, then began to tremble.

"She was with us the whole time…"

"Then…she's inside…"

They, despite Mayu's leg, raced inside, exclaiming, "GET OUT!"

To their surprise, Rena, Mion, and Keiichi were all at their dining table, papers in their hands.

"You won't welcome your guests ~kana, kana?" Rena glanced up at the twins, wide-eyed and blank.

"Why are you HERE?" Mio and Mayu cried.

"These papers are police reports and research on the three of us…hm?" Rena held the papers up. "Allow me." She tore one in half, and the other two followed her.

"That's Oji-san's!"

"Why did you murder him, you two? What was the motive?" Rena's voice was low.

"WE DIDN'T DO IT!"

"You were the only ones who were with him in the forest. You came back alone, without him."

"We got lost!"

"You were alone together. How could we suspect differently?"

Mio glared at the floor and clenched her fists, tears streaming down her cheeks. They wouldn't believe her.

Then it clicked. There was a silence in the room, then Rena persisted.

"You can't hide it, you two are—"

"You're wrong." Calmly, Mio cut it, halting Rena.

"Oh?"

"How do you know if we were the only ones there…" Mio lifted her head, revealing her tearful eyes were shut. "That's the easiest trick in the book. The culprit was hiding and watching its victim…" her eyes fluttered open. "JUST LIKE YOU DID TO US!" she ended in a shout directly to Rena.

Mion and Keiichi caught their breaths and tilted back. Mayu noticed Rena's mouth twitch and scowl, ever so slightly, but it was there.

"That's right…" Mayu mumbled, then raised her voice. "You're a more convincing murderer than us!"

"I'm watching you to find out why you killed him, and evidence to prove you did." Rena muttered through her scowl. She inched closer.

"Good luck searching, 'cause you may have forgotten you'll find NOTHING!" Mio laughed bitterly at Rena, glaring.

Her face shadowed, Rena yanked Mio by the wrist and raised her other hand in the air, as if about to smack her. Mio, instinctively, shut her eyes and clenched her jaw, backing up.

A flash illuminated the room.

Rena tilted her head and peered over her shoulder.

"Gotcha." A busy-looking woman in a white button-up shirt and black skinny jeans stood behind the scene, camera in hand.

"Rei-san…!" Mayu shouted, hope lacing her voice.

"You may not find evidence of Mio and Mayu being the culprits," Rei said firmly, "but I now have evidence of you harassing them. Good luck, nee."

Rena was quiet, then, without moving, mumbled, "Why are you here."

"I thought it was quite suspicious the girls didn't even know you were behind them, and they seemed scared. The door was open, so I walked in…on this."

Mion and Keiichi stood frozen in the background.

"Let her go now." Rei demanded severely. "I don't care what your reasons are, but you have no right to walk in someone's home and attempt to beat them in it. Leave at once, or I'm contacting the police."

Reluctantly, Rena released her grip on Mio and lowered her arm. She stood for a moment over Mio, then abruptly burst into a wide smirk and chuckled bitterly through her teeth. Her eyes glared at the young girl with pure hatred.

"Dearest sister…I won't forgive you anymore."

And with that, she trudged out of the door, Mion and Keiichi stumbling behind.

Rei helped the twins up, and Mio was puzzled and fearful of what Rena meant by that statement. The photographer did not leave until Kei came home.

* * *

><p>The twins were so terrified they slept in Kei's room that night, and even had him drive them to school the next day.<p>

Bracing themselves for what was inside the classroom, Mio and Mayu walked in.

"…"

Ever since the past couple of days, the two girls had not known what to expect from their ex-friends. They did not expect them to accuse them for murder, for one thing—they certainly weren't expecting anyone to stalk them, either. That day was no different.

Mayu could feel the silence bleed into the class as they entered the room. But, it quickly died when Rena exclaimed with delight,

"Hey, Ma-chan!"

Everyone beamed at the twins, making them grow wide-eyed.

"Welcome, you guys," the teacher said. "Kiritsu!"

After the class did their morning bows, the group that once despised the twins before, went right back to smiling at them.

"Mayu-chan, I need help with this math problem here ~desu wa…" Satoko beckoned the brown-haired girl to come.

"We should play a game after school is over!" Mion cheered, "I can't wait to punish Kei-chan," she added with a sinister sneer.

"Aa! I will never dress in a pink tutu ever again!" declared Keiichi.

"You won't. This time it will be a Café Maid outfit! ~Ahahaha!" Satoko laughed majestically, a laugh that resembled a witch's.

Rika stared at her friends, who were all evil to Mayu yesterday. She beamed. _Maybe things will get better from now on…_

"Nippa~!"

Mio thought the same thing, a giant grin sweeping across her face.

_Maybe they realized we weren't the murderers, _she thought, _and they forgive us! Yes, and we could be just like we were before…_

Mio giggled, and began, "I can't wait for—"

Everyone immediately glared at her, their eyes once again nothing but absolute abhorrence.

"…Eh?"

"Shut up, scum." Muttered Mion.

"You don't deserve to speak with us," added Satoko, a hint of anger in her voice.

"But…you just—"

"Don't talk…" Rena interrupted, "…murderer."

"I'M NOT A—"

Mio's protest was cut off when Mayu suddenly reached for the nearest chair and flung it at the huddling group of Rena, Mion, Keiichi, and Miku. The chair's head struck Rena in the jaw, causing her to whimper and tumble out of her chair, crashing to the floor head-first. The limb hit Mion's shoulder, and she collided with Keiichi before meeting the same fate as Rena. Miku was quick to cover her head and back away, shrieking.

Satoko, who was behind Mayu, let out a shriek as well and backed up in her chair. The rest of the class gawked and the teacher stammered, "M-Mayu!"

"I don't care who you are, or what you say to me," Mayu clenched her fist, then looked directly at Rena and shouted, "You do NOT treat my sister that way!"

Mio, trembling, took a step towards Mayu. "Nee-chan…"

Rena lifted her head, wincing from the throbbing pain. Her eyes twitched and she could only sputter "k…k-ku…"

"Ryuuguu Rena, and all of your worshippers," Mayu's voice was bitter yet clear. "From this day forward, anything you say to my sister, you say to ME first. Do you understand?"

The group was unable to respond through their immense agony.

Mayu snapped her head towards Satoko. "Do you?"

In tears, the blonde yelped and stuttered under gasping breaths, "Y…yes!"

"I see." Mayu closed her eyes. "Now, sensei, you may take them to the nurse."

The teacher quickly scurried to the injured group and they all disappeared in the hall.

Mio gave her sister an appreciative smile, then for the rest of the school day Satoko avoided the twins and the wounded ones remained in the nurse's office till the school day ended.

* * *

><p>The twins refused to walk home with the rest of their ex-friends, and instead walked peacefully through the familiar dirt trail together.<p>

When they returned home, they heard someone call their names behind them.

"Mio-chan, Ma-chan~!"

Having recognized the sickly-sweet voice, the sisters reluctantly turned around.

Once again, Rena, Mion, Keiichi, Satoko and Miku stood before them, beaming as though they were childhood friends. Rena had a bandage on her jaw.

Mayu winced and muttered, "I told you to stop following us."

Rena lifted two bento boxes stacked on top of one another and sang in a saccharine tone, "I made lunch for us all!"

Mio, like her sister, winced as well.

"It's to make up for all we've done," continued Rena, "One for Ma-chan, and one for Mio-chan. You will let us come in, right?"

"…"

"Mio-chan," a shy smile appeared on Satoko's lips. "Please, forgive us."

Mio could only stare at Satoko for a long moment. Perhaps, perhaps perhaps, they could discuss the circumstance during lunch. And perhaps, just perhaps, they would admit they were wrong. Maybe they found the real murderer and that was why they were here! Just…perhaps…

Mio gazed at the smiling group of once-was friends, a look of sadness, forgiveness, and a glimmer of hope expressed in her eyes. Just perhaps, everything would be okay again.

"…come in."

Mayu gasped at her twin. "Wha—"

"Thank you very much!" Rena marched past Mayu, her followers right behind.

* * *

><p>The gang sat circled around the dining room table.<p>

"Aa…so…" Mio stared at her hands in her lap nervously. "What did you want to talk about…?"

Rena giggled and said, "Eat my lunch I prepared and you'll know what I want to discuss. I wonder if I made it good ~kana, kana?"

Hesitantly, the twins lifted the bento box covers. Their lunches were identical—rice balls neatly lined up together.

"Rena-chan makes the best rice balls~!" announced Mion cheerfully.

Mio had to agree, they did look tasty.

"Itadakimasu," Mayu took a bite, then exclaimed with a shocked face, "It's good!"

Rena chuckled, her chin on her hands. "And I made one for Mio-chan. Anything I do for Ma-chan, I do for Mio-chan as well, right?"

Mio decided to try a taste. "Itadakimasu," she said, picking the rice ball up. "So why did you come here?" she took a bite.

"Well, what we wanted to ask you is…" Rena stopped when she saw Mio turn white and her eyes bulge. Mayu stared at her frozen sister. "Mio-chan…?"

Rena snickered when Mio choked in the back of her throat, then coughed the mushed up remains of the rice ball out. Along with blood.

"…why did you murder Tomitake-san?" Rena sneered, her eyes wide and slightly crazed.

"Y…you bastards!" Mayu smashed her fist on the table. Her sister puked an object in her hands. It was a small sewing needle drowning in a miniature pool of crimson blood cupped in her palm.

Mayu froze, stunned, her eyes bulging at the bloody needle. Then once again she screamed "BASTARDS!" and abruptly lifted her body up, knocking her chair to the floor.

Immediately after, she felt an agonizing jolt of pain stab through her bandaged knee. The girl yelped and clutched the bandage.

"Ma-chan," Rena said, an emotionless voice with just a hint of amusement, "Your leg is limp. I wonder why ~kana, kana?"

"…I tripped and fell," Mayu strained her word through her clenched teeth.

"Seems the excuse is always that, mya…?" Miku strangely smirked.

"I TRIPPED AND FELL!" Mayu's scream was hoarse.

"LIAR!" Rena countered, then fell back in her chair, her head down. Shadows masked her eyes.

"…Quite funny…your sister was right there while you 'fell'."

Mio, who had been spitting up blood in the bento box with a craned neck, had suddenly caught her breath, her eyes open.

"Your mommy's in the hospital, right?" chuckled Satoko. I wonder who put poison in the coffee she had during work…"

"Perhaps the girl who wasn't home that day?" Rena murmured, her lips curling into a grin.

Unable to speak through her gasping breaths, Mio wiped the blood trickling down her chin, her eyes lowered to the table.

Mayu, as well, was speechless.

"The same girl wasn't home when her papa was working on construction," Keiichi sneered as though high and mighty.

"Papa died that day, didn't he?" Mion quietly let out a sinister laugh behind her lips.

"I wonder why…kana…kana…?" Rena's smile stretched wide, and she lifted her head and bared her teeth directly towards Mio, howling, "WHY? AHAHAHAHA!"

"I…" Mio choked.

"We looked some things up about you, Mio-chan. Your past seems quite sketchy, nee? How do we know you didn't just _SHUT YOUR SISTER UP _when you murdered him, like you _OBVIOUSLY DID BEFORE?"_

"I would have to disagree."

A male voice sliced through Rena's rambling, and she caught her breath and twisted her head in its direction.

It was Kei, nonchalantly glancing at a stack of papers in his hand, the other hand slid casually in his jean pocket.

"…what?" Rena's smile flickered off and her crazed eyes gazed blankly at the man.

"Hmm, what do we have here?" Kei observed his papers. "The Ryuuguu parents splitting up? Ah, then he gets a new girl, I see…"

"No," muttered Rena, "Stop it."

Kei proceeded. "Aa, 'Mamiya Rina, gone missing with alleged lover Houjou Teppei'. You weren't home that day, were you?"

"Shut it," Rena gasped.

"Ah, but how could we forget when you moved to the other town…your old school needs some window repairs, doesn't it? Seeing as you smashed every single one, and beat a few students…"

"SHUT UP!" the girl screeched.

"If you're going to blame my nieces,"—Kei bashed the wall beside him with his fist—"Then I could very well accuse you."

At last, Rena flinched and fled the house, her confused friends following along with Mayu's scream: "IT _WAS_ YOU, WASN'T IT?"

Mio merely stared at her hands in her lap.

* * *

><p>Rika was glaring through the open window the entire time. She whirled around to Hanyuu, who was floating behind her.<p>

"Could it really have been Rena-chan or Mio-chan? They both look suspicious now!"

Hanyuu turned her direction to the swaying trees in the distance.

"In the other dimensions, Mayu really did trip off a small cliff, Mio's mother was in the hospital of illness, and her dad died of a construction accident. But here…who knows."

Rika was speechless.

* * *

><p><em>What you imagine is a new life without pain.<em>

_What you wait for is the sun to rise and the questions to be answered._

_What you wonder is if the world truly is as sad as it seems._

_When the Crimson Butterflies Scatter, The Doomed Beginning Chapter, Part 4: The edge of the cliff._

…

_Do you believe?_

* * *

><p><strong>(AN) Ffff, I may be a little slow, I apologize. School is rather annoying T3T GUESS WAT? I LURVE REVIEWS :333**


	4. The Doomed Beginning Chapter, Part 4

**(A/N) Hello, hello! Gasp! End of the first chapter! Chapter 2, the Rope Pulling Chapter, will be up soon! And yknow what? I have totally forgotten this and I just remembered, my thousand apologies...**

**DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN HIGURASHI, NOR FATAL FRAME. SAVE THAT FOR RYUKISHI07, 07TH EXPANSION, KEISUKE KIKUCHI, MAKOTO SHIBATA, AND TECMO. I JUST LOVE THESE GUYZ so you see I'm a fan :D This counts for the entireeee story. ^^;**

**Enjoy!**

* * *

><p>Morning sunlight trickled through the window blinds, like golden blood. It poured into the bedroom, seeping onto the twin beds and onto the faces of the twin sisters, Mio and Mayu.<p>

The twins' eyelids fluttered open, and their day began. They brought themselves out of bed, and half an hour later, they shuffled into the kitchen.

A note on the counter said "Out shopping—Here's breakfast—Kei." Next to it was a plate of rice balls.

The sisters were silent, then Mio murmured, "Do you think she'll leave us alone now…?"

"I don't know…I don't know," Mayu shook her head.

Mio let out a puff of exhausted air and grabbed her sister's hand.

"She may never leave us alone. She may turn everyone against us…but, at least we have each other."

Mayu nodded, and asked, "No school today, right?"

Mio nodded back and beamed. "Let's play squirt guns in the front yard!"

Her twin agreed and they raced to their destination.

_That's right, _Mio thought to herself, _No matter what they do to us, they can never tear me and Nee-chan apart._

The clouds spilled out onto the pale blue sky, their torn edges tinted silver. They overflowed onto the sun like grey syrup, dousing the flames of its summer warmth. Instead, a melancholy breeze stung the two young girls' cheeks as they stood on their quiet lawn. For a strange reason, this scene reminded them of a time they could not quite put their finger on. A crimson butterfly fluttered through the morning air.

A sudden thought struck Mio, as she realized she couldn't remember when those mysterious crimson butterflies began appearing in Hinamizawa. Had they always been there? Was there ever a time in which the only insects known in Hinamizawa were the wailing cicadas, yet then the next day those silent creatures began dancing through the air, tearing gaps in the tattered clouds with their scarlet wings? Or had their existence slowly became noticeable overtime—their presence bleeding into the background of Mio's life subtly, until the day came that they were an accepted fact, that they were known, that they were there? Is that possible—to slowly grow into existence, like a seed blooming into a flower?

Mayu brought Mio back to reality when she announced she'd fill the buckets with water for the squirt guns.

As Mayu strolled away with two buckets and the plastic toy guns inside, Mio concluded to herself that she was over thinking things—those butterflies probably came by every summer, they're just too forgettable to have been very much noticed. Quickly her thoughts of the crimson butterflies became fleeting ideas, as she declared to herself that she would not let the horrors of the past get to her that day. Even if Rena tried messing with her or her sister, Kei-oji-san would protect them—and no matter what, she made a promise to always protect Mayu, even if it was from Ryuuguu Rena.

Rena…Mio remembered she used to be so nice, so friendly and fun to be around. But, just like the butterflies' presence, she had suddenly became bitter, brutal, an evil thing. It was almost as if she believed the twins were not the culprits, yet was attempting to make them out to be. Had she always had such a nasty personality deep inside her? Kei-oji-san did discover she smashed all the windows of her old school…was there a flaming rage buried deep inside her, hidden by her girlish giggling and love of cute things? If there was, why direct it towards Mio? And not to forget when Rena snickered, "Dearest sister, I won't forgive you anymore…"?

The other used-to-be friends had just turned into Rena worshippers. Mio still remembered Miku's hoarse shrieks and hateful words the day after the Watanagashi Festival. Back then, Rena must have told them the twins were obviously the culprits, and all of them truly believed Mio and Mayu murdered the photographer, and genuinely hated them. But, as Rena slowly started snapping more and more, the rest of the sisters' ex-friends must have went along with the girl's crazy schemes out of fear. Mio realized Mion and Keiichi were probably dying to have things back to the way they were; Miku was shattered inside, crying to herself, asking herself why things had to be this way; Satoko most likely was truly afraid of Rena, and didn't want to upset her. Rika…

Suddenly, Mio remembered how every time the gang tried harassing the twins, Rika was not included. Perhaps she stood up against Rena, and she left her alone? So, maybe Rika was someone Mio could trust! Maybe, just maybe…

Mio, thinking to herself as she waited for Mayu in the front lawn, violently shook her head and said to herself: "Don't worry about that today! Water guns!" clenching her fists.

"May I join?"

A low, familiar, slightly _amused_ voice sank Mio's heart to her stomach as she turned to face its direction, eyes bulging.

"Water guns sound fun."

Rena slowly slid her feet towards Mio and her yard, the slightest of smirks painted on her pale face, her dead eyes wide and rimmed in crimson. Her arms dangled, dragging a large billhook axe through the grass of her "friend's" lawn.

Terrified eyes frozen on Rena's axe, Mio could only choke on her breath and tremble in shock.

"Aa, wondering what this is for?" the orange-haired girl lifted the heavy blade, causing Mio to flinch. "I found it in the dump one day. You can find the most useful little things there! Well, this isn't exactly little, but it gets the job done. It worked well for getting Rina out of the way, and that thug, Teppei."

Mio's eyes then focused on Rena's snickering face, and the horrified girl backed away. She felt as though she was suffocating. "Aa…aaa…"

"Are you trying to scream? Pathetic," Rena abruptly hacked her axe into a nearby tree and stood still, startling Mio so much she stumbled on her own feet and fell. "Kei-oji-san is out buying groceries, remember? And Mayu-nee-chan can't hear you, either."

Tears welled in Mio's disbelieving eyes. "Why…" she mumbled, her voice quivering, "Why…are you…!"

Rena merely sneered and lifted her axe above her head, glaring down at Mio. "Worthless," she muttered through her bared teeth, and all the panic that was building in Mio's frozen body burst out of her. She shut her eyes and shrieked, "STO—"

Before the girl could finish a word,

Before Rena could swing her blade,

A loud splash interrupted them, along with a young girl's screech:

"I DID IT!"

Mio's eyes fluttered open. Rena slowly turned her head. No one noticed the cries of the cicadas had ceased.

Behind them, Mayu stood with clenched fists next to a toppled over bucket of water. Tears streamed down her eyes and she bit her lip.

"Nee-chan!" Mio cried out.

"I…I killed him! Tomitake!" Mayu's voice was hoarse and trembling. Her confession did not affect Rena; Mio cut her breath short.

Mayu went on. "I admit it! Mio did nothing wrong!"

"Nee-chan, no way!" Mio cut in, but Mayu persisted.

"I-I FORCED HER TO KEEP QUIET!"

Mio's tears slid down her pale cheeks. Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion and pain.

"Nee-chan! YOU'RE LYING! DON'T LIE!"

"STOP IT MIO!" the sister exclaimed through her sobs, her eyes shut. Mio could only wail. Her sister was protecting her. Why must it be this way?

Rena stood like a statue the entire time, her arm still over her head. Shadows fell over her eyes and her evil smirk was replaced be a bitter scowl.

Silence drowned the air for a moment more until Mayu at last murmured, "So please, don't hurt—"

"Idiots." The axe-wielder interrupted with a disgusted mutter.

"…eh?" Mio's eyes bulged once more.

Rena threw her head in the air and burst into an insane laughter. Her hoarse, maniacal shrieks frightened even the birds, who leapt out of their nests and flew high above the darkening sky. A gust of ice-cold wind sliced through the air as Rena continued laughing a horrifying laugh that kept both Mio and Mayu statue-still for what felt like eternity. Even though the crazed woman's smile stretched unnaturally across her face, her ear-shattering screams were laced with a hint of pain.

"AHAHAHAHAHA HA! AHAHA, AHAHAHAHA!"

Every exaggerated breath tied the laughter together like a string tying together blades that sliced straight through Mio's utter existence.

At last Rena inhaled one last gulp of air and swung her head into Mio's face, her eyes consumed in craze and insanity.

"DUMBASS!" she spat at the poor statue in front of her, her teeth bared like a shark, her voice cold and deep and absolutely merciless.

Behind her, a quivering Mayu quietly stuttered, "Wh…wh…"

Rena left no room for interruptions.

"I KILLED HIM!" she exclaimed to the sky. "YOU WORTHLESS FOOLS! I DID IT, ME! ME!" her laugh suffocated the air once again as the two twins gawked and threw their hands over their mouths.

The laughter abruptly shut off, yet Rena's head remained aiming up at the chilling grey sky.

"'Strangle him with your bare hands,' she said," the mad woman's voice returned to its deep, unusual tone, rich in filthy joy, "'And kill any witnesses.' Miyo saw. I chopped her up and hid her in the woods!" her coarse cackling returned. Then she turned around to face the teary-eyed Mayu, scraping her axe along the ground.

In a strange, low and quiet voice, that sounded as though it was on the edge of bursting into laughter once again, Rena spoke to her.

"You're a witness."

She moved closer to the crying girl.

Never more in her life did Mayu wish she didn't have a limp leg than right at that moment.

Rena lifted her hook axe.

"NEE-CHAN!" Mio shrieked, but Mayu only closed her eyes and sighed.

"NEE-CHAN, get away from her, QUICK!" Mio desperately attempted to stand and race after her sister, but tripped over herself and fell to the grass in a sobbing heap on her stomach.

Mayu's words stopped Mio dead.

"Goodbye, sister."

"Wah…?"

Rena snickered through her clenched teeth.

"I guess…we can't be together forever."

These words were a bullet that shot through Mio's very being.

"But I'll be okay." Mayu opened her eyes confidently and gave a small, reassuring smile. It only created new tears in Mio's tired eyes.

Rena's grin merely grew wider as she muttered, "Worthless!" and swung the axe down onto Mayu's neck. An immediate kill.

Gash after gash, Rena's axe dripped in blood and Mayu's body collapsed on the cold, rustling grass. Gash after gash, Mio died inside, like a crushed insect.

A full minute later, Rena finally finished and stood over the pitiful heap of torn flesh and broken bone. A low chuckle rose inside of her. She slowly turned to face a broken Mio, her head lowered.

"Finally…finally."

Rena made each step closer to Mio last as she mumbled, almost to herself,

"Oh, how long I have waited for this chance. Years, perhaps. Decades. Centuries…the time I stood still, waiting for you, blurred and flowed by me, and every single day became an eternal night of torment. Every second my love for you decayed more and more, and my true desire to destroy you spread inside me like a growing fire. Nee-chan,"

Her head tilted up the slightest bit, and she glared at Mio with a stretched, teeth-baring sneer.

"I hate you."

Her deep, dark snicker engulfed Mio's mind. The girl lost the last thing that mattered to her—Mio was defeated. She lay on her stomach, limp, emotionless. But Rena couldn't kill her just yet.

Her snickering faded away when Rika came into her vision, standing in the distance, watching her with pitying eyes. Strangely, fearless eyes.

Rena's lips curved into a long, sad-clown-like frown. Her eyes were wide, yet void of emotion.

"Rika."

She, however, quickly snapped back to her huge, eerie smile and giggled a bit more high-pitched than before.

"You're a witness." She bolted towards Rika, who shouted with fury, "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?"

"Because she told me to," Rena replied with bitter joy as she swung her hook axe in the air. "Goodbye, Rika-chan."

Her sickening laughter was the last thing Rika heard before the world faded to black.

* * *

><p><strong>(AN) o3o This one was pretty emotional. Whatcha think? :D Rope Pulling Chapter will be up soon!**

_**Random end-of-chapter babblings with Koe:**_

**I noticed sometimes I don't do this cuz when I publish a story I'm tired and wanna go to bed D: BUT HERE YOU GO :D**

**My charm bracelette my auntie gave me just snapped and fell to pieces ;A; IS THAT A BAD OMEN? Does that mean I won't be able to go to my friend's house this weekend...NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I WANNA SEE HER FAT FLUFFY DOGGEHS!11oneone/murdered whodunit-style**

**WHODUNIT? ...was it you? o=o**


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